Google I/O 2012: Rumor Round-Up

Google I/O 2012: What We Know So Far

Started in 2008, Google I/O is a developer-focused conference held annually by the company in San Francisco, California. The conference serves to demonstrate new technologies while allowing developers to learn coding from the "Googlers". That's not all - developers are also invited to meet with Sandbox partners who've built businesses using Google APIs.

Usually held over a two-day period, Google I/O 2012 has been extended to three days, from 27th to 29th June. The Android mobile operating system has been one of the major themes highlighted in past conferences, and this year is likely to be no exception. Fortunately, Android fanboys and girls alike who are not physically present at the event can watch live video streams of its two keynotes via developers.google.com/io. Alternatively, you can access the live stream from your Android tablet or smartphone via the official Google I/O 2012 mobile app. The time slots for the two keynotes are as follow:

To prepare yourself for what's going to happen at Google I/O 2012, here's a summary of the rumors that have been floating around the web. Treat this as the starter before the main course.

Google Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

The next iteration of one of the world's most popular mobile operating system, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, is tipped to be launched at Google I/O 2012, less than seven months after the introduction of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Here's what we have heard about the upcoming update so far:

Google Nexus Tablet

Rumors about Google unveiling its own tablet started late last year when Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google, revealed that the company has been planning "to market a tablet of the highest quality" within the next six months. Since the announcement, a series of reports on the details of the Google Nexus tablet - including manufacturer of the tablet, the specs, and its availability - has been circulating on the Internet.

Hardware Specifications and Pricing

A benchmark result posted on Rightware's Power Board labelled a tablet device as Google ASUS Nexus 7 with the following specs: a NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core 1.3GHz processor, and a screen resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels.

Gizmodo Australia obtained leaked documents that the Google Nexus tablet will come with a 7-inch screen, a 1.3GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor, 1GB RAM, Jelly Bean, and two storage options (8GB and 16GB). It is also stated to be NFC-enabled. Furthermore, Gizmodo's sources cited the screen resolution to be 1280 x 800 pixels, and the display type to be IPS. The tablet purportedly sports a 1.2-megapixel front facing camera. The 8GB model will be priced at US$199 while the 16GB model will be going for US$249.

The folks at iFixit got their paws on a Google Nexus 7 tablet and managed to completely tear the device down, revealing the fact that the former is better than its Kindle Fire competitor in terms of battery performance.

Less than a day after Google announces the availability of both Chrome and Google Drive apps for iOS devices, the former has already topped the free apps chart for iPhone as well as reigns second for iPad apps.

Google's Chrome web browser for Android is now out of its beta phase and ready for prime time, provided you have an Ice Cream Sandwich device that is. Chrome is also the default browser for Android devices running Jelly Bean. The Chrome app is now available for download in the iTunes app store for Singapore.

Google announced their cloud storage solution Google Drive late April this year. In the space of two months, Google has announced some essential enhancements, and even support for iOS devices at this year's Google I/O event. The app is now available in iTunes Store for Singapore.

Actual units of Google Glass, Google's augmented reality glasses, have been revealed at the Google I/O. Sergey Brin, Google's co-founder, has also provided details as well as the expected availability of the product. Hit the jump for more.

Looks like Apple will have something to think about after Google unleashed the Nexus Q at the Google I/O event moments earlier. Dubbed as a "social streaming media device", the Nexus Q is able to stream multimedia content from the cloud via Android-based mobile devices, and more.

With Google's first keynote at Google I/O 2012 over and done with, here are the updates that would be coming to your Jelly Bean-infused device come July and beyond. Check out what's new after the jump.

Google took the wraps off its Nexus-branded tablet, the Nexus 7. Manufactured by ASUS, the Google Nexus 7 is the world's first tablet to be powered by a quad-core processor. It is also the first device to use Chrome as its standard web browser. Hit the link to find out more about the Nexus 7.

Google's new Nexus Tablet, a collaboration with ASUS, has been leaked ahead of Google I/O, complete with price, specs and Android version. Bloomberg has received confirmation from reliable sources that Google will definitely be launching the tablet at the Google I/O event.

Google has announced that live video streams of its two keynotes will be made available via developers.google.com/io, with the first one commencing on June 27th at 9:30 a.m, PDT (June 28th, 00:30 am, Singapore) and the second one on June 28th at 10:00 a.m, PDT (June 29th, 1:00 am, Singapore).

Google has released a companion app for Android users on Google Play for its upcoming I/O 2012 event, allowing users to sync events/sessions with their calendar, and better follow and participate in #io2012 discussions on Google+.

A tablet device by the name of Google ASUS Nexus 7 appeared in a benchmark result. The listed specs include NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core 1.3GHz processor, a screen resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels and Android 4.1.